RELEASE THE BEAST
Starting with a block of raw aluminium, the Razer Core V2 is precision CNC crafted into an incredibly handsome package with a compact form factor. The Razer Core V2 general size and shape remains as sleek as the V1, but the internal layout has been modified a bit to allow more room to accommodate a larger graphics card this time, especially the latest blazing graphics chipsets like the NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 10-series and AMD XConnect™ enabled Radeon™ RX500-series cards.
Also updated from the V1 are additional cooling fans that are positioned to work in tandem with the casing to cool the card down quicker. Better USB-C compatibility and connectivity has also been worked over with new I/O controllers. The power supply is also bumped up to a massive 500W to ensure adequate power for the card and any other connected devices.
Getting started is a breeze - just plug in your laptop, your monitor and I/O devices to the Razer Core V2 and you are good to go.
In short, Intel’s Thunderbolt 3 technology is the first no reboot plug-and-play computer port designed to push enough power, bandwidth and Input/Ouput protocols to power external graphics, peripherals and the laptop all at the same time.
And if you are done with the Razer Core V2, you can just walk away with your laptop just by pulling one cord. All this without shutting down your laptop at all.
THERE ARE LIMITS TO THE POWER
Before you commit to buying one, there are a few things we think you should know - The Razer Core is pretty pricy for an empty casing. Yes you read that right, the Razer Core V2 is an EMPTY external graphics card enclosure; you will still need to buy and install a card separately. Performance also varies greatly depending on the compatibility of the laptop you are using and the graphics card you slot in.
Most importantly are the quirks of the Thunderbolt port – The Razer Core V2 is not compatible with all laptops that has a Thunderbolt 3 port, it needs one that specifically supports external graphics. Also do remember, that there are a lot of laptops with USB-C ports that looks like Thunderbolt 3 ports but are actually not and there are plenty of Thunderbolt 3 ports that don't support the Razer Core V2 either. Ugh.
VERDICT
We have been living the "1 laptop 1 desktop" life for so many years now, it’s comforting to know that there is no longer a need for us to juggle two separate machines or switch between our laptop and desktop incessantly. Razer Core V2 provides you with the boost in power and performance that you need to keep working and gaming on the same laptop seamlessly, providing you have one that pairs flawlessly with it of course.
To date, the Razer Core V2 is still yet to be available in Malaysia but is rumoured to be sold for around USD499 (RM2100+-) when it finally arrives here.
- Interested in the Razer Core v2? Find out more about it HERE